A total of 21 students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have left for Denmark Technical University (DTU), in Lygby, Denmark on 19 June to participate in the Summer Course for three weeks. Picture shows the participants capturing the moment with Professor Dr. Mohd Azraai at the opening ceremony.

Programme coordinator, Dr. Zainon Zainura Noor, said the course was held for the second time and organised by the UTM School of Graduate Studies (SPS) and the International Student Centre (ISC).19 students from DTU are also involved.

In line with its theme ‘Sustainable Consumption and Production: Towards Achieving Eco-Efficiency, students will conduct their research on environmentally-related case studies in either private companies or government agencies in Denmark.

“Some companies and agencies that have agreed to ensure the success of this programme is Emmelev Biodiesel,Risoe DTU and the European Environment Agency (EEA), Copenhagen,” she said.

Dr. Zainora added that this course is an extension of cooperation between UTM and DTU, which began in June 2009 through a programme of International Summer Course on Sustainable Consumption and Production held in Johor Bahru.

The main objective of this course is to provide exposure to concepts and methods of production and sustainable consumption, especially in environmental and social aspects of product life cycle.

“The course gives special emphasis on industrial and manufacturing challenges related to sustainable environmental development with the adoption of life-cycle perspective.

“This programme will introduce and provide skills training on basic methods for improving eco-efficiency through the product chain that starts from extracts of raw materials, manufacturing, use, disposal and recycling,” she said.

She further added that through a case study conducted on companies and government agencies, students have the opportunity to add knowledge and present the findings to be assessed.

Among those involved in this programme are Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd. Ariffin Abu Hassan from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Dr. Arne Wangel from DTU.

The opening of the course was officiated by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Internationalisation, Pof.  Ir. Dr. Azraai Kassim on June 16, 2011 at Alumni Hall UTM, Johor Bahru.

Also present at the ceremony was Professor. Dr. Rose Alinda Alias, Dean of the Graduate School of UTM.